Monday, March 2, 2020

Tomorrow at sewing we are working on a specific project (lanyards) for an upcoming event; I spent some time this morning digging out solid fabrics in bright colours and then cutting strips. We need to make 200 of them; I found fabric in different solid colours to make five. I’m assuming that if we need more I can cut another strip off each piece but at this point I thought donating for five was enough.

Then I moved on to getting some packages of cards ready. My UFO Challenge for March is the Splendid Sampler blocks. Those are the ones I use for my cards. My goal is to get all the tops done first (but probably not this month) and then when I need cards I can pull them out and do the quilting.

I promised Gail that this afternoon I’d come over to her place and help her clean up her studio for our mini-retreat this weekend. I sometimes waited for her direction and sometimes I went ahead and did something on my own; if she doesn’t like what I did she can change it. I did the vacuuming before I left. The table tops aren’t cleared off but she says she can take care of that on her own. I really think she needed someone to help her get started. If I can help clean up a friend’s sewing room why can’t I seem to get mine cleaned up – and keep it that way for more than a day?

On my way home I stopped for some groceries. I’m responsible for treats at the Guild meeting on Thursday night and for lunch and dinner at the retreat on Friday. I have my menu planned and I’ll do most of the preparation on Wednesday. There will be some last minute stuff to do Thursday morning but we don’t start until after lunch.

While I wait for someone to come to the door for show tickets I’ll try to get another card package together.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

I’ve pretty much taken the day off – maybe we could call it a knitting day and I wouldn’t feel so much like I wasted the day.

I caught up on some Hall work this morning and went through my e-mail. I sewed a label for the Community Quilt I finished. I cut the proper sized piece for one of the scrap blocks I was making but I didn’t sew it together; there are a few more alterations I want to do.

Here’s the block that I managed to get right. The two smaller pinwheel blocks are made from the edges that got trimmed from the larger block – I hate to have any fabric go to waste even if it is from the Community Quilt bin.

And that is about it!

Saturday, February 29, 2020

I really felt like ignoring my journal for one more day but how often do I get to do a post for February 29th. And I have some catching up to do.

When I last checked in I had two blocks I was going to test out – well neither of them worked! I was enlarging the pattern for one of them and I didn’t get the math right on one of the pieces; it was my own fault and it is easily corrected.

The second block was one I was trying to make based on a photo from a blog I follow. I didn’t have any measurements; the author used a die cutter for her block so I was only guessing at measurements and apparently they were all wrong. I decided I would send her a message and see if she could give me more information. Apparently several others asked ahead of me and her blog yesterday gave me the information I needed.

Thursday night was our 100+ Women Who Care meeting – again I picked a winner! Two of the three groups were unknown to me so that made the presentations more interesting. If there is a chapter in your area I encourage you to join.

Yesterday and today were the Guild’s Community Quilt days. I took one top for sandwiching and I brought it home yesterday for quilting; I had to take it from another member’s pile as she wanted to take it home with her. I worked hard yesterday and got a second quilt top finished and it was sandwiched today and added to my pile. I was the last one to leave yesterday and I was so tired when I got home I had a little nap.

Today was much more relaxed. I got the binding prepared and attached to another one of my quilts; I need to do the hand stitching and hopefully I will have it ready for the meeting on Thursday. With the right measurements for that second test block I used fabric from the Community Quilts stash and tried a block. It was a success and I was able to pick out several other fabrics that I will use in other blocks and then donate back.

I have agreed to be a member of the Program Committee for the next two years – along with the year I have left on the Membership Committee. It is the second time I’ve been asked to join for the fall and I relented today. They are aware I can’t teach anything, and that I have very few ideas of my own. I can collect and receipt the payments when they came in so I suppose that helps.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

I can’t seem to settle to do anything very productive this morning. I was up early (before six) so there was an opportunity to get a lot done.

I finished my Hall work yesterday and my sewing was all packed because I never unpacked it from Tuesday. My Thursday projects remain at Gail’s from week to week.

I planned to work on my 3-Yard Quilt (Friendship Star) so I’d be ahead of things for the Community Quilt weekend. What I really wanted to do though (and was thinking about all night) was to test out a couple of scrap blocks patterns I found. It involved some cutting so I got enough done to put together one block of each and I’ll work on them this afternoon. Since I was enlarging one pattern and going from a picture on the other I think it makes sense to do a test block.

Since I was cutting scraps for the two blocks I kept at it and managed to clear a few more off my cutting table. I have a couple of new projects that I need to get cut next week so I’m ready to go for those. My scrap bits (smaller than 1.5″) usually go into a dog pillow but I have some pillow tops and I will keep those bits and pieces for myself. They won’t make the smoothest pillow but they are just throw cushions so it should work out fine.

And while my mind was on pillows I decided on a project that really needed pillow forms. Walmart used to carry them but they are now only available online but I can have them shipped to the store here. Just what I need – more projects!

I’ve wasted almost enough morning that I can do my final packing for my errands and sewing afternoon. I have a meeting tonight and when I get home from that I’ll have to repack for tomorrow’s sewing.